eG Cook-Off #72: Ramen

[kbjesq]

3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I have spent considerable time in Asian stores here looking for Ramen noodles that are not in a package with seasoning and have had little luck.   I have taken to buying the packages of instant Ramen noodles and ditching the seasoning packages.   You may have better luck.  

Have you tried the frozen food section? That's where I go to buy plain, fresh Japanese ramen noodles (obviously they've been frozen, but they are quite different from the fried-dried packages).

 I confess, however, that my favorite ramen are the dried, cheap packages from Korea (extra spicy flavor) and the Thai brand "Mama" in Creamy Tom Yum flavor. 

[Kerry Beal]

I'd look for the fresh Sun Brand Ramen - I have been able to get them in a few places even here in Canada finally. They'll either be in the cold case or frozen.

 

 

[helenjp]

You can try making your own noodles - I have done it, a long time ago. If you don't want to go the lye-water route (which is not that hard now that people like Harold McGee have helpfully shared information on baking baking soda to raise alkalinity), what about making a Chinese-style egg noodle (eggs make the dough more alkaline too)? For ramen purposes, a little egg is enough, Although no longer common in Japan, I've eaten egg noodle ramen. Also, if you have soft water or normally use a water filter, you might want to use straight tap water or buy a "hard" mineral water to make the noodles.

When I make ramen at home, I usually buy the noodles. I make a pork and chicken stock, and I make a boiled roll of pork. Usually each serving gets some menma preseved bamboo shoot, half a boiled egg, a few slices of pork, finely chopped scallions, and a sturdy green such as komatsuna (rape greens), broccoli rabe etc. Will try to make some over the weekend.

[Tere]

You can eat soba in hot dishes as well. Both they and the udon noodles would be tasty, if not technically ramen.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I too, like all sorts of noodles in soup, but true ramen noodles are special to me because with their alkaline treatment, they don't get soggy easily even in hot soup. I like that quality a lot.

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Ramen, ramen everywhere!  Ramen isn't something I usually think about.  Now that we have this cook-off, I am noticing ramen everywhere! Last week, the LA Times ran a note about a food blogger who's produced a poster guide to 42 types of ramen and funded it via a Kickstarter campaign. 

And just yesterday, I read a great piece on Serious Eats, "Don't Put Your Hand in the Noodle Machine: Notes From Ramen School in Osaka" by Mathew Amster-Burton (aka @mamster )

 

I confess with embarrassment that the only time I've used ramen is in that ubiquitous pot-luck broccoli slaw/ramen salad where the dried noodles add crunch so I obviously have much to learn this cook-off!

 

[Anna N]

@blue_dolphin

 

 Run. Run as fast as you can.   There is still time but once you get hooked into Ramen there is no escape. 

[David Ross]

I've been looking through online recipes for ramen and so far it seems as most of the time the protein is either sliced pork or beef.  I was thinking that beef tongue might be a delicious meat to add to ramen.  Do people use offal very often?  I would think a dish with a humble background would use lesser expensive proteins like kidneys, liver, sweetbreads and such.

[huiray]

16 hours ago, btbyrd said:

 Instant ramen are fresh noodles that have been precooked and dehydrated via deep frying. 

 

This is incorrect. There are various brands/packages both Japanese, Korean, and SE Asian which use non-fried noodles.

 

 

42 minutes ago, David Ross said:

I was thinking that beef tongue might be a delicious meat to add to ramen. 

 

I do this not infrequently. I might add pressed tongue (charcuterie) to my ramen hacks, for example.  Or leftover chicken/duck livers, etc.

[rotuts]

Wow

 

Tongue

 

a fav of mine very difficult to find

 

@David Ross

 

I can see this if you can find les tongue's in an ethnic market

 

and SV or not them before hand

 

Yum

 

[btbyrd]

I didn't know that. In English language markets -- at least the ones I've been in -- I've never seen what I considered to be real dried ramen. I've seen some that weren't alkaline noodles as well as some gluten free rice flour "ramen" which I don't consider ramen either. Good to know that there's a real product out there.

 

30 minutes ago, huiray said:

 

This is incorrect. There are various brands/packages both Japanese, Korean, and SE Asian which use non-fried noodles.

 

 

[kbjesq]

3 hours ago, huiray said:

 

This is incorrect. There are various brands/packages both Japanese, Korean, and SE Asian which use non-fried noodles..

Oh boy, you've just lifted a huge load of guilt off my shoulders. I also thought they were all dried-fried and that's why they taste so good (well,  that plus high sodium + MSG).  I'm going to eat even more now! I love ramen, usually I'll drop a soft boiled egg & some sliced scallions into the bowl before slurping.

[jim loellbach]

Here's one I made roughly following the recipe for Ramen with Chashu Pork in the book Hiroku's American Kitchen (sorry, I can't find a link to the recipe online, I just have her book).  I like this recipe because everything for the prep goes into the final ramen.  The liquid used to initially cook the pork is used as the main stock for the soup.  The tare used to finish the pork and season it is used to season the boiled eggs (they soak in it overnight), and is the used to season the final stock.  For the noodles, I used angel hair pasta with baking soda according to Serious Eats here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/10/baking-soda-ramen-noodle-spaghetti-hack.html

Other ingredients are shiitakes, scallions, nori.  It was great on a cold winter night!

[David Ross]

8 hours ago, rotuts said:

Wow

 

Tongue

 

a fav of mine very difficult to find

 

@David Ross

 

I can see this if you can find les tongue's in an ethnic market

 

and SV or not them before hand

 

Yum

 

I found two thick, cross-cut beef shanks in the freezer this afternoon.  Not exactly offal, and it's a cut of meat I've never used.  I was planning to put it in a French-style braise when I purchased it, now I think some sort of slow cooking process to tenderize it and then into the ramen soup.

[kbjesq]

My local Asian market received its deliveries for the week yesterday, so I stocked up on ramen, thinking of this thread. Made my favorite Korean ramen soup last night. Warning: this flavor is really very hot!  Photo shows plain ramen & contents of packets included. I usually add veggies, tofu or poached egg

Edited March 5, 2016 by kbjesq
Fix typo (log)

[Paul Bacino]

So  Had a Ramen Dinner!!

 

The Broth  --I stared the day before / so I can de fat some of it  (  Basic a Serious Eats recipe Alot of pork parts besides the cross cut shanks/ and chicken legs

) --  But  I added extras.  Shiitake Mushrooms,  Nori , Miropoix, parsley. a touch of sugar , and a touch of Hoisin

 

 

 

 

I get Sun Noodles

 

 

 

The pork was Chashu -- braised and Sous Vide and crisped up for service  also we cooked a small loin to slice

 

My friend cutting the servings

 

 

 

The dish  _ Soy Egg/ corn/ two porks / mushrooms and scallions   served with a spicy pepper on the side

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2016 by Paul Bacino (log)

[rotuts]

Rats

 

@Paul Bacino

 

did you send my Invite by Snail Mail or Donkey Express ?

 

just saying.

 

BTYW : very tasty looking  however Where's The Beef ?

 

 

 

 

[David Ross]

Paul that's an amazing ramen feast! 

 

I'm taking a side road today, teaching a class on Cioppino.  Tommorrow I'm diving into my first ramen dish.  I think it may turn out to be a sort of ramen-hybrid.

[Deryn]

Next cookoff - Cioppino, David?

[Paul Bacino]

13 minutes ago, Deryn said:

Next cookoff - Cioppino, David?

Sounds Good!!!

 

[Chris Hennes]

The Ultimate Rich and Creamy Vegan Ramen With Roasted Vegetables and Miso Broth

J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT

(Recipe at Serious Eats)

 

 

First, thanks to @shain for suggesting this recipe. It's a beast---maybe not Modernist Cuisine-levels of complexity, but a far cry from insta-ramen packets. I'd say it took 3-4 hours total, and probably about 2 hours of active cooking. It's one of those recipes where you have to enjoy cooking, or be a really dedicated vegan. The final product is superb, you absolutely don't notice that it's a vegan dish. There is no lingering regret that you didn't use a meat stock as the base, for example. But it takes a lot of work to coax that level of flavor out of vegetables alone. I recommend it wholeheartedly if you like finicky cooking with lots of steps involved, or if you have a staff.

[David Ross]

3 hours ago, Paul Bacino said:

Sounds Good!!!

 

Well, I'll have to get through the next Cioppino class first.  This one sold out and I have a waiting list for a second Cioppino class.  And when your students stay an hour and a half after class asking about cioppino, chile rellenos, fish n'chips and spices, you just might be a popular teacher!

 

But tomorrow I'm working on my first ramen dish which will feature salmon.

[Paul Bacino]

K..  Dave

 

I know this is weird..  But I did a Mussel broth ramen..  Since you said you were into the Salmon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Ross]

43 minutes ago, Paul Bacino said:

K..  Dave

 

I know this is weird..  But I did a Mussel broth ramen..  Since you said you were into the Salmon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

looks quite delicious.  

[jmolinari]

I've been working on my ramen for a little while now, so i'm interested to see what people come up with.

This is my creation. XO Ramen. The idea was to get the flavors of XO sauce into a ramen dish.

 

The broth is a combination of country ham, ham hocks, dry scallops, dry shrimp, dry cuttlefish, anchovies and kombu

The tare (seasoning liquid) was regular and usukuchi soy, dry shrimp, dry scallops, kombu, katsuobushi sake and mirin

The aroma oil was lard based with garlic, green onion, shrimp shells and dry shirmp

Noodles were homemade with 1.3% gluten and 1.3% alkali salts, and 2% shrimp powder

 

If you want more details, like exact quantities, i'm happy to share.